A friend of mine who hunts out of Lethbridge printed his copy of the Alberta hunting guide in July, highlighted his units, and filed it in the truck like he does every year.
In late September he called me to ask whether I had heard about the bait changes. I had not. Neither had he, until a guy at his local range mentioned it. The province had amended its wildlife rules two months after the guide he was carrying went to print, and nothing in that guide reflected it. He was not doing anything wrong. He simply had the wrong rulebook in his truck, which is a strange place for a careful hunter to end up.
Direct answer: Alberta amended its Wildlife Regulation through an Order in Council filed September 17, 2026. Reported changes include treating crops grown to attract game as something other than bait, allowing pre-charged rifles and bows, extending spring black bear seasons in four units, restricting bear hunting near certain highways, and raising many licence fees.
Why Alberta’s Rulebook Changed Twice This Year
Most hunters treat the annual guide as the final word for the season. In 2026, that assumption breaks down, and understanding why helps you know where to look.
Here’s how the two updates fit together:
The July guide
Alberta publishes its Guide to Hunting Regulations each July, ahead of the fall seasons, and most hunters build their year around it. The province makes routine annual amendments to the Wildlife Regulation before each season, and those normally land in that July edition. The government publishes the guide and related updates through its My Wild Alberta hunting regulations page.
The September Order in Council
On September 17, 2026, the province filed an Order in Council 316/2026, titled the Wildlife (Joint Authority) Amendment Regulation, under the Minister of Forestry and Parks. It amended both the Wildlife Act and the Wildlife Regulation after the July guide was already in hunters’ hands. The Alberta Wilderness Association published a summary of the changes on September 28, and most of the detail below comes from that summary.
The September 2026 Changes Hunters Will Notice
Several changes alter what you can do in the field directly. These matter most if you hunt over attractants, hunt black bears, or have been curious about air guns.
Here’s what the order reportedly changes:
Crops grown as attractants no longer count as bait
Crops grown specifically with the intention of attracting and hunting big game or game birds now fall outside the legal definition of bait. Alberta’s existing baiting rules govern where bait may sit and how bait stations must be signed, and planted crops of this kind will sit outside those rules. Hunters who plant food plots should still confirm the details before relying on this, since the wording turns on intent.
Pre-charged rifles and bows
The order permits pre-charged rifles and bows for hunting. That category generally refers to pre-charged pneumatic air guns, including air-powered launchers. Which species, calibres, and seasons they cover had not appeared in a published guide at the time of writing, so treat this as a change to watch rather than a green light for this fall.
Black bear seasons and highway restrictions
The order extends the spring black bear season in Wildlife Management Units 400, 404, 406, and 408 by 16 days, moving the closing date from May 15 to May 31. It also adds restrictions on hunting black bears along certain highways, with the reported focus on roads close to and along recreational sites rather than every busy road in the province.
Changes That Work Behind the Scenes
Other amendments change how the system operates rather than what happens at the moment of the shot. They still affect hunters, particularly those who hunt with guides or take meat home.
Here’s what shifts administratively:
Guides and private land
Guide outfitters previously needed permission to guide on private land. Under the amendments, they need permission to access private land, without the separate requirement to secure permission specifically for guiding. Hunters using an outfitter should still ask directly whether the landowner knows a guided hunt is taking place.
Who receives harvest reports
The amendments allow agencies other than Fish and Wildlife officers to perform some functions those officers handle today, including receiving reports of animals killed and receiving animal parts submitted for analysis. Hunters should watch for updated instructions on where to submit reports and samples once the new arrangements take shape.
Export rules and wolverine reporting
Wolves join coyotes on the list of animals that may leave Alberta without an export permit, and the order also eases export rules for meat packaged for consumption. Separately, every wolverine kill must now be reported, including in northern fur management areas and by people previously exempt.
Licence fees
The order increases many licensing fees. Check current prices in your WiN account before you buy rather than relying on last year’s receipt or any figure published before September.
The 2025 Changes Still Catching Hunters
The province made a larger set of amendments on May 21, 2025, describing them as a modernization to reflect current science, social norms, and technology. Some still surprise hunters who have not hunted Alberta since.
Here’s what the government confirmed changed then:
Dogs for black bear in listed units
Black bear hunting with dogs became permitted in a specific list of Wildlife Management Units, including 344 through 356 and several units in the 400 and 500 series. Check the full list before you assume your unit qualifies, since it covers some units and not their neighbours.
Bear and cougar skins and meat
Hunters may now abandon the skin of a black bear or cougar only if they recover the edible meat. You may abandon the skin or the meat, but not both. That rule changes field care decisions on the spot, particularly for spring bear hunters who never planned to keep the meat.
Youth game bird licences and bait signs
Youth under 10 no longer need a provincial game bird licence while hunting game birds. Bear bait station signs no longer require a Wildlife Identification Number, and may instead show a name and phone number for the person responsible.
What It Means for Hunters Coming From Outside Alberta
Ontario hunters planning an Alberta trip face rules that differ sharply from home, and the 2026 changes add a few new considerations on top.
Non-residents hunting big game in Alberta generally need a licensed outfitter-guide, and Canadian non-residents can also hunt some species with an eligible Alberta resident through the province’s hunter host system. The private land change makes it more worthwhile to ask your outfitter exactly where you will hunt and what permission covers it. Our look at the best Canadian provinces for deer hunting covers how Alberta compares as a destination.
The eased export rules for packaged meat may simplify bringing your harvest back to Ontario. Confirm the current requirements with your outfitter or Alberta Fish and Wildlife before you pack a cooler, since Ontario and federal rules also apply at the other end.
Alberta runs hunting licences through the Wildlife Identification Number system, and the 2026 fee increases apply there. Our guide to getting a hunting licence in Canada walks through Alberta Hunter Education and WiN registration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What changed in Alberta hunting regulations in 2026?
An Order in Council filed September 17, 2026 amended the Wildlife Act and Wildlife Regulation. Reported changes cover crop attractants and bait, pre-charged rifles and bows, extended spring bear seasons in four units, highway restrictions for bear hunting, guide access to private land, export rules, and higher licence fees.
Is the 2026 Alberta hunting guide still accurate?
The July 2026 guide predates the September amendments, so it does not reflect them. Use it for seasons and units, and check the province’s regulations page for anything touching baiting, black bears, air guns, guides, exports, or fees.
Can you hunt with an air rifle in Alberta?
The September 2026 amendments permit pre-charged rifles and bows for hunting. The species, calibres, and seasons they cover had not been published in a guide at the time of writing, so confirm the details before using one.
Do non-residents need a guide to hunt in Alberta?
Non-residents hunting big game generally need a licensed outfitter-guide. Canadian non-residents can also hunt some species with an eligible Alberta resident host. Confirm the rules for your species and residency class before booking.
Getting Ready for an Alberta Hunt
Whether you hunt prairie mule deer or foothill elk, an Alberta trip asks more of your gear than most Ontario hunts. Longer shots, wider country, and colder mornings all change what you pack.
What Victory Ridge Sports does
We run a Canadian hunting and target sports store in Barrie, Ontario, and we ship across Canada. We stock rifles and ammunition suited to long prairie shots, optics and rangefinders, packs for hauling quarters, and the Sitka layering systems that handle an Alberta November.
How we help, and how to reach us
Most of the people behind our counter hunt hard themselves, and several have hunted out west. Call 1-705-252-4400, email info@victoryridgesports.ca, or order online with free shipping over $250 anywhere in Canada.
